More Options for Squad Leaders

[ARMAKrush 10]

I'll make this post short and to the point. I'll expand on these later on, I just want to get some discussion started. Please note this is for the singleplayer.

• Allow parent squad leaders to pick fireteam leaders (they'd be in charge of the men in the fireteam while you're away with your own squad completing a different objective)
  
• Allow parent squad leaders to pick an objective from your tasks list for your fireteams to complete (your team, white team, could be clearing a village while green team is clearing a small encampment and red team is retrieving some weapons caches)
  
• Add 'Clear building' command (pick a couple of men from your current squad to clear the targeted building of hostiles)
  
• Add 'Link up' command (join up with the selected fireteam so they are back under your control again)
  
• Add 'Defend building' command (orders the selected soldiers to take up defensive positions within the selected building)
  
• Add 'Sitrep' command (requests the leader of the selected fireteam to give you a report of what's going on where they are)
  
• Add 'Retreat' command (orders the selected fireteam to retreat to a pre-determined location. If a location is not set, they will move away from the conflict and regroup with you and the parent squad)
  

All new ideas are welcome :D I'll add any good suggestions to the list and remove any if the reception isn't good.

Edited February 7, 2015 by ARMAKrush
A feature requested is already present, so it was removed and the rest of the post adapted

[Sandy* 10]

The functionality to divide your squad into different fireteams is already there, though.

Edit:

Allow parent squad leaders to pick an objective from your tasks list for your sub-squads to complete (your squad, alpha, could be clearing a village while alpha-bravo is clearing a small encampment and alpha-charlie is retrieving some weapons caches)

This sort of feature would potentionally require a ludicrous amount of scripting from the mission designers, as the tasks can be pretty much anything. The game's too open and full of possibilities to have an actual core game system where the AI would know how to follow and complete tasks, so it's better to leave it for the individual mission makers.

Edited February 5, 2015 by SandyBandy

[easyeb 137]

Clear building and Garrison building commands are available in the magnificent (yet not recently updated) WWAI Menu.

[ARMAKrush 10]

Clear building and Garrison building commands are available in the magnificent (yet not recently updated) WWAI Menu.

While it does seem like a nice mod, it would be better to have it implemented by BIS themselves. I noticed a few 'known bugs' that would be quite frustrating to run into. If it was added to the vanilla game these bugs wouldn't happen.

Edited February 6, 2015 by ARMAKrush

[froggyluv 2136]

BI seems to be extremely reluctant to do anything involving AI and indoors be it attacking a building, garrisoning, giving definitions of "being indoors" or anything remotely along those lines. So don't hold your breath.

[Sandy* 10]

You can divide them up into green team, red team and so on but they don't actually split from your squad and complete objectives by themselves. Arma is a mil-sim type game so you should have the ability to send sub-squads off to complete secondary objectives rather than having to move about as one large cumbersome unit tackling objectives one at a time.

Yes, they will split when you order them to. Just like you can give orders to individual soldiers with the function keys, you can select the different fireteams with shift+F1,F2,F3 and so on (or whatever your keybinding are). As for AI autonomy in completing tasks, like I said, everything would have to be scripted. If BIS created such a system, it would not work in user-made content without extra effort.

[fabio_chavez 103]

the fact that arma 3 doesnt even have a rudimentary squad management gui says everything... though im glad that there is still a imperturbable followership comming up with ever new apologys for the defects of the game...

[Sandy* 10]

though im glad that there is still a imperturbable followership comming up with ever new apologys for the defects of the game...

Such an apologist I am for telling the OP how the game works. By not even playing SP due to the terrible friendly AI and the interface, and just pointing out features the OP thought didn't exist, I'm clearly defending Bohemia's lack of progress. :j:

Edited February 5, 2015 by SandyBandy

[Jackal326 1181]

the fact that arma 3 doesnt even have a rudimentary squad management gui says everything... though im glad that there is still a imperturbable followership comming up with ever new apologys for the defects of the game...

Oh good, Fabio has found two new things to complain about. What a joyous day this has turned out to be.

[ARMAKrush 10]

you can select the different fireteams with shift+F1,F2,F3 and so on

Thanks for the tip :) I suppose this in conjunction with this would make commanding a squad a bit more flexible. Still not as good as it could (perhaps should) be, but an improvement for sure.

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

the fact that arma 3 doesnt even have a rudimentary squad management gui says everything... though im glad that there is still a imperturbable followership comming up with ever new apologys for the defects of the game...

Key options 1 through to 9?

What exactly are you looking for in a "rudimentary squad management gui"?

Currently you can change or manage almost anything about the AI via the current menus. You can even order them to open up their inventory no matter where they are on the map and fiddle with their equipment.

[froggyluv 2136]

Recommend Drongo's Command Enhancement -it's got a full GUI for squad control (including Garrison) as well as full command system for High Command of other Squads.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?181313-Drongo-s-Command-Enhancement

[fabio_chavez 103]

Oh good, Fabio has found two new things to complain about. What a joyous day this has turned out to be.

wrong jackal, the lack of a proper squadmanagement GUI was the very first basic feature i noticed to be missing in arma3 alpha, anway you are free to try to ridicule all the people who point to unquestionable, obvious and long prevailing shortcomings. you got to like the status quo over the years, thats nice for you.

---------- Post added at 12:12 ---------- Previous post was at 12:09 ----------

Key options 1 through to 9?

the fact that the hardcoding of those keys hasnt been touched for 14 years or so suggests that it has been initially coded with engravings on pottery vessels, thanks for pointing that out though ;)

[Sandy* 10]

the fact that the hardcoding of those keys hasnt been touched for 14 years or so suggests that it has been initially coded with engravings on pottery vessels, thanks for pointing that out though ;)

The OP asked for new features to the existing system, not a redesign of the user interface. I pointed out that he's unaware that something small already exists in the squad management system, though it was not completely what he wanted. Nobody defended the existing UI. Neither does the ability to send AI to complete task autonomously have anything directly to do with the UI, it's an AI/mission design issue. So why don't you stop sperging and derailing the thread. I'm sure there are a thousand and one threads detailing how bad the user interface has been since OFP.

[ARMAKrush 10]

I pointed out that he's unaware that something small already exists in the squad management system

I edited the post to account for this. Thanks for the information :)

It's an AI/mission design issue.

What's the problem with it? I don't understand how the missions are made :confused: